THat the chiefest and most glorious Attribute of power, being Mercy, the safest addresse thereto must be Submission, which makes us in all humility offer unto the consideration of this Honourable Assembly, the great and heavy burthen un­der which wee grone, and though to Lawes we humbly shall submit, yet such is the weight of some that lye upon us, that nothing lesse then linity can let us live, nor can wee any way find out reliefe, but by applying our selves unto this High Court, whereas Fathers and supreame Judges, you reside, retaining still full power to frame, or change, according to the exigency of times, and occasi­ons, and being prudent and mercifull, can affoord us patience, and favour in this short Petition, wherein wee shall yeeld our selves fit Subjects for your mercy, or obedient Submittees to your wills and resolutions.

The many penall Lawes in force against your humblest Petitioners are to this Honourable Assembly knowne, as is the ground on which they first were made not out of memory, having had their birth but un­der Queene Elizabeth, when partly extraordinary proceedings from the See of Rome against her person, and partly the claime our dread Soveraignes Grandmother (wholly devoted to that Religion) layd to the im­mediate succession of the Crowne, occasioned severall distractions, and even cast jealousies and suspitions upon all, that in Religion had relation to that See, whereupon from emergent reason of State, and by way of prudent cautions, and prevanting future disobedience (and not to put restraint upon the conscience of the Subject or to punish contrariety of opinion or beliefe) these lawes as we conceive were made, and afterward much aggravated and made more heavy to us all, by occasion of that ever most derestable plot, of those few decayed turbulent and desperatly discontented persons, indeed professors of the same Religion, but quite neglecting and transgressing, and most inhumanly therein forgetting all duty and obligation.

If thus (Right noble Gentlemen) these Lawes originally vvere appropriated to these times, and no such reason now (we hope) appeares, and still these Lawes overwhelmes us. It is either for the personall offen­ces of other men, whose wicked facts, we (are no waies guilty of) with all good Christians utterly abhorre, or for supposed errours of our understanding and beliefe, which as in it selfe (according to all Divines) is an effect immediate of grace, and therefore not to be enforced: So in its tenets, there is not any thing forbids, invites, or hinders the professors of it, from their due obedience to their Prince, and faithfull preservation of their Countries liberties. In prosecution of vvhich truth, we heere abjure as false, and most erroneous, both assasination of Princes, and faith is not to be kept with all sorts of people, and doe detest them both, as most oppugnant to humanity, and not to be allowed by any Religion whatsoever; We also shall, and will be ever ready to maintaine and defend with all our powers, lives, and fortunes, all our Countries liberties, the Rights, and Priviledges of the Parliaments, the Subjects lawfull Rights, liberty and propriety, the peace and unity of his Majesties three Kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland, and in all just and honourable wayes, endeavour the punishment of all that seeke or worke the contrary; as dutifull obedient and loyall Subjects are obliged, and as true borne Lovers of their Countries good are bound; All which (under fa­vour) as the Lavves now stand we no wayes are permitted, as having neither freedome, nor fortunes of our ovvne, for strictly are our actions, Judgements, and our tongues tyed up.

But the approaching storme that seemes to threaten here, moves us to take shelter under your mercies vvings, most freely spread to comfort all agrieved, vvhere vve doe hope for shadovv and protection. And humbly are Petitioners, that you vvill be pleased to ease our sufferings, by mitigating the Rigor of those penall Lavves, that either ruine us, and our posterity, or cast a thraldome on our consciences, so as vve meek­ly vvalking in our fore-Fathers steps, aspiring unto nothing but possessing our selves in peace, as people that seeke ease not honours, and that the crime of Catholiques before this Honourable Assembly [...]o [...] appeares, but onely different vvaies in serving the same God you serve, the same Christ w^ch you beleeve (for whosoe­ver in any other sort offends Quipeccaverit ipse moriatur) vve most humbly in your prudence and your good­nesse trust, in this publique Iubilee (vvhen all's intended to be joy and consolation) vvee shall not be the onely Subject of sorrovv and desolation, nor that the Lavves made for offendours in one time, should lay upon the innocent in another. And therefore humbly begge, you vvill cast your eye upon the Schedule of these Lawes annexed and then your mercifull repeale of vvhat your vvisdomes and mercy find, shall give the conscience reliefe that is afflicted, & not the mind content that is ambitious, and a thing vve thirst not after.